How He Proposed: September 29, 2004

A long, long time ago. In a galaxy far, far away.....

No....not really. Well...it seems like so long ago, anyway.

On Thursday, September 29, 2004......I was a teacher in an elementary school.

Geoff worked the same job he has now...only he had a different schedule then. He was off on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

On this particular day in question....on a Thursday.....on September 29, 2004, to be exact,......I had gotten off of work and headed straight to school where I was working on my masters in Special Education (Yes...I started my masters and never finished because I decided to go to nursing school instead!! Go figure.).

It's a little blurry to me now....but I had 2 classes.....and I believe that my first class started around 4:00.....and my last class started at 7:00? (Yes....I was in class for 6 hours after work....I wanted to finish my master fast!)

However....on this day....I was informed when I got to school...that my second class was going to be cancelled for the evening. This was great news!

So during the break of my first class......I call Geoff to tell him the wonderful news.....that I would be finished at 7:00 instead of 10:00. If I had finished at 10:00.....I would have just gone home and not gone to see him. But now that I was getting out early....maybe we could get together after all!

However.....he didn't seem that enthused. I don't know what I expected. For him to jump up and down in excitement? Regardless....I do remember saying something to the effect of, "Well....if you don't want me to come over then I won't. I don't want you to miss Smallville or anything like that." (Can you hear the sarcasm as you read that?)

I don't remember the rest of the conversation....but it couldn't have been that long because I had to return to class.

Meanwhile......Geoff called my sister (who he had shown the engagement ring to earlier in the day)....and asked where my mom and Terry were so that he could ask permission to marry me. He had already asked my dad earlier in the week while he was at work (my dad was his superior at the time).

You see.....he had planned on proposing on the next day....Friday. But since he was going to be able to see me after all.....he couldn't wait. He said, "The ring was burning a whole in my pocket."

Come to find out....my mom and Terry were eating at Cici's pizza with my cousin, Brittany. I don't remember if they knew he was going up there or not....but he did....and he asked for my mother's permission. She said yes....and she cried.

He then goes back to the house to wait for me.

_______


So class is over. I am on my way to the house. I am sulky (being bratty)....thinking how he hasn't done anything 'nice' for me in a while and blablablablablabla. Oh poor me. Right?

Wrong.

I came inside. We hugged. And luckily.....before I could start whining and telling him how 'horrible' he was.......he drug me into the kitchen.

I reluctantly followed.

And sitting on the table was this book....


This all happened so fast. And although we had talked about marriage before....I didn't know when he was going to propose. Especially in that moment. The original plan for the evening was for me to not even see him at all since I had school.

I am sure I said something like, "What's this?"

And he replied with something like, "Sit down. And open it."

So I did.

And the very first page is this.

The blue card was the first of many little notes that I would randomly leave Geoff while we were dating. I would tape them to his apartment door...... or leave them in his apartment so that he could find them when he got home from work. Just sweet little, corny notes....that to be honest.....I should still be doing.

This one was from December 12, 2004....one month and 4 days after we met.

And you see....the thing is.....he had told me that he had thrown away all of the notes and cards that I had written. All the while....saving them in his safe.

This was the next page.....

Then my new years card. It's kind of funny to me that I made it using glitter.

This was just a sweet little card not really saying anything but that I loved him and missed him. It wasn't for any specific occasion. Just that I loved him.


And now to my absolute favorite page. I think by this point I may have thought that this was it. But I was still so baffled. My heart was pounding. I definitely couldn't think clearly.

He had written me a poem. And I had to fold back the little strips of paper one by one to read it.


I've been blessed to find my true way
For it is you that fills my everyday

A beacon in the night is you I perceive
For the rest of my life I never want you to leave

I will love you for every breath that I take
A love that stands the times, this we will make.

Thank you for the support you have given
Whenever I fall, with you I have risen

I will try to make your love and life so unique
Together in life we will never be meek

It is God who has given us this journey
I will fight for you with such great fury
To show you that what I believe
Is that my world is made up of you and me

You've supported the every step of my ways
You've given me the strength to complete everyday

Marla Michelle Cotton please turn around
For what we've both wanted will now be found.

To which I...... turned around in my chair......found Geoff on one knee.....with a beautiful ring...saying, "Will you marry me."

I said yes. And was so giggly.....that it took him a while to get it on my finger because I kept pulling my hand away. I couldn't believe it! This man that I loved....is asking to spend the rest of his life with me.....this moment that I had only dreamed about was coming into fruition and I just couldn't believe it. To say that I was happy would be an understatement.

Not long after he put the ring on and I gazed intently at my hand.....I started calling my parents and friends. We then drove to both of my parents' houses to show them the proposal book and my ring.

And the rest.....the rest is history.....